Samford came within inches and a matter of seconds of defeating the Appalachian State Mountaineers for the first time since the Bulldogs joined the Southern Conference in 2008.

Instead, for the fifth consecutive season the Bulldogs walked off the field with a loss to the Mountaineers after Sean Price hauled in a questionable 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jamal Jackson with 22 seconds remaining to give 13th-ranked Appalachian State a 28-25 victory Saturday in a SoCon game.

Price was ruled just in bounds on the right side of the end zone on his game-winning catch.

"It's probably one of the toughest feelings I've felt in my life," Samford senior strong safety Alvin Hines II said of the defeat. "We played a great team so close and not to be able to pull it out is breathtaking."

From Hines' vantage point, Price didn't come down in bounds with the ball in his hands.

"I saw it as a incomplete pass," Hines said. "It's a tough part of the field to cover. It's too deep for certain coverages and not far enough for other coverages. It's an in-between area.

"I didn't think he was in, but it's not up to me to decide."

The loss ruined Samford's homecoming at Seibert Stadium and probably will knock the 25th-ranked Bulldogs out of the Sports Network FCS Poll. Samford (5-2, 3-2) dropped out of the Coaches Poll two weeks ago -- after its first appearance since 1995 -- following its first loss of the season, a 35-16 setback at Georgia Southern.

Saturday, with the Bulldogs holding a 25-21 lead late in the fourth quarter after rallying from a 21-10 halftime deficit, it appeared they would be ready to move up in the poll.

Appalachian State (5-2, 3-1) needed to march 80 yards in the final 1:33 to keep Samford from celebrating its biggest victory in Pat Sullivan's six seasons as the Bulldogs' head coach.

Jackson steadfastly refused to let that happen. He had a crucial 17-yard scramble and completed 3 of 6 passes on the drive for 63 yards, capping it off with the scoring strike to Price.

Jackson finished 22 of 39 for 288 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Price had five receptions for 90 yards and a score.

Jackson's first touchdown pass, a 48-yard toss to Steven Miller with 5:16 left in the first half, gave the Mountaineers their 21-10 lead at the break.

Appalachian State's first two touchdowns in the half came on Joel Ross' 17-yard interception return and Rod Chisholm's 20-yard run up the middle.

Samford scored its 10 first-half points in the first quarter on Cameron Yaw's 25-yard field goal and senior quarterback Andy Summerlin's 1-yard jump pass to tight end Tony Philpot in the back of the end zone.

The Bulldogs also had Riley Hawkins' 85-yard punt return for a touchdown nullified because of a block in the back penalty.

At halftime, Sullivan said he challenged his team to make a determined effort in the second half.

"We could have quit at halftime, but we fought back," he said.

Samford started its comeback with a nine-play, 85-yard drive that began late in third quarter and ended with junior receiver Kelsey Pope scoring on an 18-yard reverse around left end with 14:41 remaining in the fourth.

Summerlin, who threw for 270 yards, passed to Chris Cephus on the two-point conversion, pulling the Bulldogs within 21-18.

Samford got the ball back when sophomore free safety Jaquiski Tartt picked off a deflected pass at the Bulldogs' 38 when Appalachian State gambled on fourth-and-one from the Bulldogs' 49.

Following Truss' touchdown, Appalachian State drove to the Samford 15, but turned the ball over on downs.

The next time the Mountaineers got the ball Jackson took them the distance for the win, leaving the Bulldogs in disbelief.

"There were so many plays up and down the field during the game," Sullivan said. "We just came up a play short. This is a blow to us, but it didn't knock us out of anything. We've got to bounce back and have some resiliency."